


Waking up

by sunshine_in_my_heart



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Señor Bunny cameo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-04-12 05:43:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4467563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshine_in_my_heart/pseuds/sunshine_in_my_heart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Jack and Eric share a bed.  And fall for each other.  In that order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Saturday night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bros can share a bed, right?

The first time Bitty woke up in Jack's bed was a Sunday morning.    
  
Saturday night had been unusually quiet in The Haus.  Ransom and Holster were out on a double date with the co-captains of the women's swim team.  Lardo had dragged Shitty along to a mixed media exhibition by a classmate of hers.  They'd tried to get Bitty to come along, but Eric managed to get out of it—"I'm so far behind on my History of American Food essay and I just need to get it done, have fun though!"  
  
Normally thumbing through recipe books was a joy, but after two hours of cross referencing ingredient lists with wartime rations to identify substitutes for common household baking ingredients, Eric was done for the night.  He'd written 6 pages, only 2 to go, and he had all his sources highlighted anyways, so he could finish that off tomorrow and still have time for a Sunday afternoon apple crumble.  
  
Emerging from his room, he heard an old recording of a woman's voice coming from Jack's room.  
  
"... yet I hope that the certainty of what we have to meet will make you rise above these fears.  We must go about our daily business more determined than ever..."  
  
Eric found Jack stretched out in bed with his laptop.  Jack's blue eyes were intently focused on the screen.  He wasn't relaxed—Eric had never seen Jack look relaxed—but he seemed content, at least.    
  
Jack looked up from the screen to see Bitty leaning against the doorframe.  "How's the essay going?"  
  
"I never want to look at another recipe book again," Eric sighed.  
  
Jack raised his left eyebrow dubiously.  
  
"Well, maybe not for a few hours," he smiled. "So who's your hot date this Saturday evening, Mister Zimmermann?"  
  
"Eleanor Roosevelt.  Her speech the day of the Pearl Harbour bombing.  A new PBS documentary on First Ladies during wartime."  
  
"Mind if I join you and Eleanor?"  
  
Jack slid over to make room and tossed a pillow behind Bitty as he sat down in the bed.  The laptop rested across Jack's thighs.  Jack hit space to unpause the video and Eleanor Roosevelt's speech continued.

* * *

  
The video finished and Jack was about to ask Bitty what he wanted to watch next when he noticed Bitty's eyes were closed.  His face was relaxed and he was breathing slowly.    
  
Jack frowned, wondering whether it was better to wake him up or not.  Might as well let him stay and sleep, Jack thought.  
  
Sharing his bed was no big deal—it wasn't like Shitty hadn't fallen asleep in his bed half a dozen times after getting high, and Bitty was wearing far more clothes than Shitty ever did around The Haus.    
  
Jack slipped out of bed silently, stepped into his bathroom to brush his teeth, then turned off his lamp.  He closed his bedroom door—Ransom and Holster were not the quietest drunks on their way up to the attic.  He pulled a blanket up from the foot of his bed to cover Bitty, then slid under his sheets.  " _Beaux rêves_."

* * *

  
Eric awoke to the sound of a dresser drawer closing.    
  
"Unnh?" he groaned.  
  
"Sorry Bittle, go back to sleep."  
  
"Jack?" he said drowsily. "What are you doing in my... Oh."  Eric realized where he was.  He sat up in bed, faster than he would like.  "Jack, I fell asleep, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, what time izit?"  
  
"7am.  Go back to sleep Bittle."  
  
Eric rubbed his eyes.  "No, I should go to my own room, 'm sorry Jack".  He blinked his eyes open and saw a sweaty Jack Zimmermann standing there in a sleeveless t and basketball shorts with a pile of clothes in his hand.  It was 7am on a Sunday morning and of course Jack Zimmermann had already been out for a run.  Eric swivelled around and forced himself to stand up.  "Sorry Jack, I'll see you later, thanks for... umm..."  
  
Eric was just awake enough to stop himself from saying 'thanks for letting me sleep with you', but blushed anyway.  
  
As he walked across the hall he wasn't sure but he might have heard Jack mumble " _Quand tu veux_ " just as the shower started running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time reader, first time writer.
> 
> Jack talks with a "u" in "harbour" even when it's a proper noun.


	2. Monday night

_Monday evening._  
  
Jack came back from a strategy meeting with the coaches after practice to find the frogs playing Mario Kart in the living room.  Dex and Nursey were on the couch, trying to use their elbows to distract each other from the race, while Chowder, sitting on the floor between their legs, was far in the lead.  
  
Reaching the top of the stairs, Jack was about to enter his room when he heard sniffling come from behind Bitty's half open door.  He raised his hand to the door to knock, then paused, turned toward his door, then back again.    
  
"Bittle?"  
  
A sniffle, then silence.  
  
"You okay in there?"  
  
"Jack? C'mon in," Eric answered in a small voice.  
  
Despite living across from Bitty for more than 6 months, Jack hadn't been in Bitty's room many times.  He wasn't one to invite himself in, and tried to respect other people's space.  (Shitty never seemed to pick up on this example.)  Bitty's room was unmistakably his, with Beyoncé posters on the wall and two shelves of his bookcase filled with cookbooks.    
  
Normally Bitty's presence filled his room with warmth and brightness, but tonight Jack found Bitty curled up in a corner of his bed holding his legs in his arms.  He'd clearly been crying.  
  
"Bittle, what happened?"  
  
"Oh Jack, I'm so scared, she says it's probably nothing but what if it's _not_ , she's my best friend in the whole world and I can't lose her Jack."  Eric's eyes were wide as he tried to take a deep breath.  
  
"I don't understand, Bittle."  Jack sat down on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Mama was at the doctor's today and..." Eric sniffled loudly.  "And the doctor found something that could be a lump, they're going to check of course but they won't know for about a week, and what if it's...", he trailed off.  
  
"Don't jump to conclusions, try to be patient until they know more."  
  
"I know, Jack, it's just..." and whatever it was, Jack didn't find out, as Eric leaned against Jack and buried his face against Jack's t-shirt.  
  
Jack was momentarily taken aback, but then wrapped his arms around Bitty as if that could keep him safe.  "Shhhh, _ne t'inquiète pas_."  
  
They sat like that for a few minutes, before Eric sat back against the wall.  His eyes were still red, but he was a little calmer.  "Hand me my water?"  Eric took a sip, then Jack put the glass back on Bitty's desk.  
  
After another minute of quiet, Eric picked up Señor Bunny and looked him in the eye.  "She got me this for my 7th birthday, well she and Coach, but I'm sure she picked it out.  He had a nametag on him that said 'Flopsy', but I could tell right away he was not a 'Flopsy'."    
  
Eric proceeded to tell Jack the origin of Señor Bunny's name, how Señor Bunny went missing at the 2005 state fair and Coach had to go back to every stall they had visited until finding Señor Bunny resting comfortably at the ring toss, the disastrous washing machine misadventure of 2008, and how mama tried to convince him that he couldn't take Señor Bunny to a "fancy pants college".  
  
Jack sat at the other end of Bitty's bed, listening quietly to Señor Bunny's life story, the happiness of Bitty's childhood evident in the warmth of his voice and the smile in his eyes.    
  
Another pause.  Not sure what to do, Jack handed Bitty the glass of water again.  "I'll let you get some rest."  Jack stepped toward the door.  
  
"Would you..."  
  
Bitty looked up from Señor Bunny.  
  
"Would you stay tonight?  I know it's a lot to ask and your feet'll be hanging off the end of the bed but I feel so far from home right now."  
  
Jack was about to chirp that Bitty had Señor Bunny to keep him company, but stopped himself.  
  
"Sure, Bittle.  Let me go get changed.  I'll be right back, okay?"  
  
Eric nodded.  
  
Jack dropped his bag in his room and changed into his cutoff sweatpants shorts and an old QMJHL t-shirt.  He heard Bitty walk down the hall to the bathroom and stepped into his own bathroom to floss and brush his teeth before bed.  
  
Following Bitty back into his room, Jack stood there awkwardly for a moment, not really sure what to do as Bitty went around the room closing the door and turning off all the lights except for the lamp on his desk beside the bed.  
  
"Do you, uh, need to be up, what time do you want me to set my phone for?"  
  
"My first class isn't 'til 10, but I'll be awake in plenty of time."    
  
"Well I'll set it for 9 anyway, so I don't sleep the whole morning away."  
  
Eric got into bed and slid over to the far side of the bed against the wall.  Jack followed him.  "Good with the light?"  
  
"Mmhmm."  
  
Bitty's comforter was much heavier than the one Jack had on his bed.  In the dark, Jack could feel the warmth of Bitty's body next to him.    
  
"Thank you, Jack" Eric said softly.  
  
"Sleep well."  
  
"You too.  'night, Jack."  
  
"G'night, Eric."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want to know the life story of Señor Bunny.


	3. The next week and a half

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys finally get a clue.

_Tuesday night._  
  
Well, some _tabarnak de calice_ hour of Wednesday morning. 

Jack had been lying in bed for hours trying to get to sleep, to no avail.  His shoulders and chest were tight and his quads would not stop bouncing and his mind was racing in circles.  Jack punched his spare pillow in frustration then rolled onto his back.  He tried to slow his breathing and calm his mind.  Find a topic that could keep his mind on track, then slowly let it fade away.  Breathe, but don't focus on the breath.  They'd discussed this relaxation strategy many times in therapy.  
  
Sleep didn't come for another hour.

* * *

  
_Wednesday night._  
  
Despite getting only 4 hours of sleep last night, despite a brutal practice ending with suicide sprints, and despite working on his thesis for 4 hours after dinner, Jack's fatigue was not giving way to sleep.  
  
He sat himself up on the edge of his bed, resting his face in his hands. After lying in bed for more than an hour without feeling one iota closer to sleep, Jack needed a change of scenery.    
  
Maybe Shitty was awake?  He opened his door to their joint bathroom, but the door to Shitty's room was closed, and Jack didn't see any light under the door.  
  
Some nights he would go out on the roof and stare up at the stars, he'd even fallen asleep that way once, but it was raining out tonight.  
  
With no real purpose in mind, Jack opened his door and stepped into the hallway.  
  
Bitty's door was a quarter of the way open, indirect light spilling out onto the hallway floor.  Jack tapped gently, the door falling a little further open.  
  
"Hello?" called Eric's voice.  
  
"Hey Bittle," Jack replied as he peered around the door.    
  
Eric was sitting up in bed, tucked under his comforter, a book propped up with his legs.  "Hi Jack!  What're you doing up still?"  
  
"I... couldn't sleep."  
  
"Me neither, my mind was running away with itself, so I thought I'd grab a book that my Aunt Carol gave me last year for Christmas, that way I can tell her I read it when I get back home in May."  
  
Jack was leaning against the doorframe in just a t-shirt and his boxers.  He couldn't think of anything to say, but he didn't want to go either.  
  
"Everything okay?"  
  
"It's... my bed feels empty."  Jack leaves the statement hanging there.  
  
"Oh!"  Eric's eyes go wide.  "It was... I know what you mean.  Would you like to...?"  Eric puts his hand beside him on the bed.    
  
Jack closes the door and crawls into bed.

* * *

 

Thursday night Eric stopped at Jack's door on his way back after brushing his teeth for bed.  "I was about to turn in for the night and, um..."  
  
"I'm going to sleep too, you can..." Jack tilts his head toward the other half of the bed.

* * *

  
Every night for the next week, they linger around each other's door before bed and find their way into the same bed, sometimes Jack's and sometimes Eric's.  They don't really talk about what it means, but something changes.  
  
Saturday night, Jack notices that there's no tension in his chest as he lays in Bitty's bed in the moments before drifting off to sleep.  
  
Monday morning, Jack wakes up to find Bitty sleeping on his side with one arm across Jack's chest.  He doesn't answer when Shitty asks at breakfast why he's smiling so much this morning.  
  
Tuesday night, as they're getting ready for bed, Jack tells Bitty that Coach Hall was very impressed with how well Eric anticipated passes to Jack during scrimmage that afternoon.  Eric beams.

* * *

  
Friday morning, neither of them have class, so they don't set an alarm the night before. Jack is awake early, resting on his side, watching Bitty sleep.  As Eric wakes up, he rolls over to look at Jack.  Still half awake, Eric smiles sleepily.  "'morning."    
  
"Hi," Jack chirps back softly.  
  
"Been awake long?"  
  
"A bit.  Just lying here thinking."  
  
"Oh yeah?"  
  
"Yeah.  I... like waking up with you."  
  
"I like waking up with you too, Jack."  
  
They look at each other for a while, morning drowsiness hiding any awkwardness.  
  
Eric slides toward Jack, the tip of his nose against Jack's.    
  
"Jack?"  
  
"Mmmmhmmmm?"  
  
Eric tilts his head to kiss Jack gently on the lips.  
  
"I want to keep waking up with you."  
  
"You too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eric? Bittle? Bitty? 
> 
> "Eric" is how he thinks of himself. "Bitty" is how Jack thinks of him, but Jack always(?) says "Bittle" 'cuz he's a hockey robot captain.


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eric wakes up unexpectedly.

Jack was awoken by sounds coming from Eric's half of the bed.  He was breathing heavily and making some small murmuring sounds.  Suddenly he... whimpered?  Jack was puzzled for a moment then realized what was happening.  Eric's breathing increased, and he whimpered again.  Eric moaned, louder this time, and then his breathing changed — he was awake.  
  
As Eric lay there catching his breath, he realized what had happened.  He hadn't had a wet dream in months and he had to have one _now_ , of all times, with Jack Zimmermann right next to him in bed?  They had kissed two mornings ago for the first time, and then again that night and last night before bed.  They'd even held hands under the table at dinner last night, but that was all so far.  But this, this was so embarrassing.  Please let Jack not be awake please let Jack not be awake please let...  
  
"Good dream?"  Jack chirped.  
  
"Oh god.  I'm so..."  
  
But Jack didn't hear whatever Eric was so, because Jack leaned over to kiss Eric.  
  
"Oh!  You're not, I mean we haven't..."  
  
"It's hot," Jack said huskily.  
  
"Really?"  Eric asked, surprised.  
  
"Yeah.  I was lying here wondering what... who... you were dreaming about."  
  
"Oh really?"  There was a hint of laughter, and something more, in Eric's voice.  
  
"Yup.  It made me think..."  
  
"About?"  
  
Jack found Eric's hand with his and guided it down to his boxers.  Jack groaned as Eric kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now with a dirty ending!


End file.
